The Hidden Logic Of Dividing And Governing And The Growth Of Centralized Countries

This paper discusses on the transition of political power structure of Han Empire around 154 B.C.Through the event of Rebellion of the Seven States,the author reasonably believe this very event was a turning point of state governance in China.From Qin empire to the early phase of Western Han dynasty,from 221 B.C.to 134 B.C.,this paper stresses on the disappearance of separated governance and the rise of power-centralized state.In less than 100 years China had implemented several different political institutions as follow:The system of prefectures and counties of Qin;the reemergence of feudalism of Western Chu;the compound system of Empire-Principality under Liu Bang,and the centralization of authority after Liu Che.These changes should be recognized as a process of political transition occurred in early phase of western Han Dynasty which had far-reaching influences.One of the prominent part of this procedure is the demise of the logic of separated governance and the rising of power-centralized empire,which was represented by the conflicts between central government and the autonomous kingdoms.The logic of separated governance is the universal acceptance legitimacy of multiple administrative center,separated governance under one single national regime.it had several political powers and rights as its pillars of structure.Political capabilities at the early phase of Western Han Dynasty was on a state of equilibrium between central and vassal state government,all vassal kings are sons and nephews of Liu Bang,the founding father of Han,political power had been shared by the emperor and these vassal kings.At that time the government structure of vassal states are similar to the Dynasty,they had sufficient sovereignty powers such as power to control personnel,entitled to governance,also had been authorized with jurisdictions as well as taxation and finance rights.Local vassal states had the several military capabilities,central government had limited powers in vassal states affairs besides sent central government officers to vassal states as prime ministers.The vassal states which located at the eastern and south-eastern part of China had established a regional market system which business and hand-made industry revenue became their primary source of local incomes;however the central government of Han controlled northwestern part of China with agricultural taxation as the primary source of revenue.Vassal states also have enough power to settle labor forces from central government under this separated governance.Central government had beset by national security and shortage of provision to support boundary retaliation operations,notwithstanding the emperor had nominal power to control the whole dynasty,central government had not acquired the capability to penetrate into these vassal states to levy taxes in order to restore the imbalances of financial and labor force between northwestern and southeastern China.The escalation of such situation forced Emperor Jing of Han had issued orders in 153 B.C.to withdraw the lands once had been granted to vassal kings,intended to weaken the several vassal kingdoms.Liu Bi,King of vassal state Wu had conscripted hundreds of thousands troops,joined by other vassal states,launched an armed rebellion,which had been suppressed soon.Through the analysis of the collective action of this event,the author believed that original separated governance system for vassal states required a compound"Emperor-Vassal Kings" decision-making structure served as legitimacy foundation of political structure;Regional governments need partly officer enrollment power,tax-levy power and authorization to govern as the foundation for regional autonomy;the existence of regional market and economic autonomy as the economic foundation of regional administration;the universal acceptance of the logic of separated governance under a united regime was the political cultural foundation.The transforming process from separated governance under single regime to power-centralized state is a continuing process of internalization of collective action,it devoured external bargains and compromises between separated interest groups,transformed these collective actions to a internal interaction in a single system.From the viewpoint of a bystander,the rising of power-centralized state was a process of dismantling the legitimacy foundation of regional political power structure and economy system which a well functioned vassal state relies on,that cause the demise of the logic of separated governance in China.All these foundations had been destroyed or undermined by the defeat of vassal troops In 154 B.C.,regional government had lost all vital powers and rights,central government had the capability to penetrate into local affairs and levied taxes,regional autonomous government had transformed into a quasi-dispatched government.After the event of 154 B.C,the powers severed as pillars of regional autonomous governance of vassal states had been dismantled by the emperor,it represented the demise of the logic of separated governance and the political power-centralized state was growing.